The present invention relates to woodworking tools which are especially useful for the production of joints in wooden parts such as box finger joints and dovetail joints. Such joints are commonly used for such purposes as joining the sides of a box structure at the edges thereof.
The present invention is directed to a relatively simple and inexpensive tool combination for producing joints of the above description. It is believed that there is no truly satisfactory tool that is presently available for use in a small woodworking shop for the above purpose.
One tool of this general type which is presently available on the market generally conforms with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,465 issued Aug. 7, 1979 to Donald Strong. That patent relates to a structure including a tool table together with a support plate vertically movable by means of two screw jacks which are coupled together by a drive chain to selected positions above the tool table. The support plate is arranged to support a router tool for the purpose of making cuts in wood parts supported upon the tool table. That tool combination is effective, to some extent, to produce satisfactory box finger joints and dovetail joints, and other joints of that kind. However, the structure is cumbersome and complicated and expensive to produce. Furthermore, a special purpose table must be provided which has no other purpose or utility.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to produce a woodworking tool combination which overcomes each and every one of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the structure of the Strong patent.
Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide an improved universal joint maker which may be added onto another existing table tool such as a table saw, and which may be adjusted so as to be out of the way so as to avoid any interference with the operation of the existing tool.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.